What are you afraid of? The Psychology of Fear, Phobia & Anxiety
Leave a reply
Category Archives: Abnormal Psychology
What is Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)?
Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a childhood developmental disorder characterized by a persistent pattern of inattention and/or impulsivity and hyperactivity. These behaviours are more severe and occur more frequently than expected for a child’s age and developmental level. In order to be diagnosed ADHD, the pattern of inattention and impulsive/hyperactive behavior must be present in at least two settings (e.g., home and school). Additionally, some of the symptoms must have been evident before age 7. Although many individuals manifest symptoms of both inattention and hyperactivity-impulsivity, some may display a predominance of one pattern over the other. Continue reading
What is Conduct Disorder?
Conduct disorder is a disorder of childhood and adolescence involving a persistent pattern of behavior in which social norms and rules, as well as the rights of others, are repeatedly violated. Children with this disorder may be described as cruel, impulsive, aggressive and out to control. The symptoms of the disorder are typically grouped into four main categories according to the diagnostic criteria outlined in the DSM-IV. Continue reading
Treating Psychological Erectile Dysfunction
Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a characterized by a regular inability to obtain and/or maintain an erect penis during sexual activity. Psychological factors account for 10-20% of all erectile dysfunction cases and are often secondary components in situations where physical causes of the dysfunction are present. Continue reading
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: Psychodynamic Explanations
The link between trauma and mental illness has been known for many decades. As early as 1896, Freud hypothesized that sexual trauma resulted in hysterical illness (Chu, 1991). He later adjusted his theory to suggest that intra-psychic conflict and not the external trauma causes many illness and several aspects of this later theory have been applied to the understanding of PTSD and its main presenting symptoms. Continue reading
What is Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)?
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety disorder which develops following exposure to a terrifying event involving death, injury, or a threat to the physical integrity of onself or of another person. The symptoms characteristic of PTSD can develop out of personal experience with traumatic events or from witnessing or hearing about such events being experienced by others. Distressing events leading to this disorder include wars, natural disasters, imprisonment, violent personal assaults, serious automobile accidents, and being diagnosed with a life-threatening illness. Continue reading